Information was collected
from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
Web Site (http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/)
on contaminants that may be associated with the Superfund Site located
in Cass Lake, MN. A sub-folder was created for 17 contaminants/chemicals
of concern. Each sub-folder contains three files - 1. ToxFAQ, 2.
Public Health Statement, and 3. Toxicity Profile. Explanations
of each follow.
1. Tox FAQ (Adobe
Acrobat file -- 4 to 5 pages each) Toxic Substance Frequently Asked
Questions
The ATSDR Tox FAQs is
a summary about the hazardous substance. It was developed by the
ATSDR Division of Toxicology. Information for this series is excerpted
from the ATSDR Public Health Statements and Toxicological Profiles
(see below). Each fact sheet serves as a quick and easy to understand
guide. Answers are provided to the most frequently asked questions
(FAQs) about exposure on human health. To go directly to the ToxFAQ
for a particular hazardous substance, just click on it.
2. Public Health Statements (Adobe
Acrobat file -- 4 to 18 pages each)
The ATSDR Public Health
Statements are summaries about hazardous substances developed by
the ATSDR Division of Toxicology. The information in these Public
Health Statements has been taken from Chapter One of their respective
ATSDR Toxicological Profiles (see below). Each Public Health Statement
serves as a summary for that complete Toxicological Profile. The
Public Health Statements provide information in a question and answer
format which address the most frequently asked questions about exposure
to hazardous substances found around hazardous waste sites and the
effects of exposure on human health. To go directly to the Public
Health Statement for a particular hazardous substance, just click
on it.
3. Toxicity Profiles (Adobe
Acrobat file -- 150 to 950 pages each)
By Congressional mandate,
the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) produces
"toxicological profiles" for hazardous substances found at National
Priorities List (NPL) sites. These hazardous substances are ranked
based on frequency of occurrence at NPL sites, toxicity, and potential
for human exposure. Toxicological profiles are developed from a
priority list of 275 substances. So far, 261 toxicological profiles
have been published or are under development as "finals" or "drafts
for public comments." To go directly to the Toxicity Profile for
a particular hazardous substance, just click on it.
There are four Adobe Acrobat
files in the "Helpful Information" Folder. Click on the file to go
directly to it. The folder contains:
1. Concentrations.pdf
-- This file contains information to help understand the units used
to describe chemical concentrations. It helps describe the differences
between parts per million (ppm), parts per billion (ppb), parts per
trillion (ppt). This may be very useful to have handy when reviewing
data collected at the site.
2. Conversion
Tables.pdf -- This file helps convert between metric
and English units.
3. Glossary
of Terms.pdf -- This file (which came from the ATSDR
Web Site) provides definitions for many of the terms frequently used
in discussing contamination and health risks.
4. Chemical
Hazard Label.pdf -- This file describes the National
Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standard system for indicating
the health, flammability, and reactivity hazards of chemicals. In
addition, a special precaution symbol may be used where necessary.
The hazard label for each contaminant is found in the ToxFAQ file
for each chemical/contaminant.
We
hope the information contained in this report is
helpful and useful to you.
If you have any problems
with this web page or have any questions regarding its content, please
feel free to contact:
